By Ron Rop
Local Sports Journal

Mona Shores’ quickness and the scoring of Jasmyn Walker led the Sailors to a 51-36 girls basketball victory over the Western Michigan  Christian Warriors on Friday night.

Walker scored 20 points and pulled down 11 points as the Sailors improved to 2-5 on the season.

“This was a game of mismatches,” Shores coach Brad Kurth said. “We had the speed at the guards and athleticism and they had the power in the post.”

Vanessa Eekhoff was strong inside for the Warriors with 22 points and 17 rebounds. She had eight offensive rebounds and nine on the defensive end.

“I told the kids if this is a post battle we’re probably going to lose,” Kurth said. “But, if they can’t get the ball to halfcourt we are going to win.”

But withWalker scoring from all over the floor and guards Meredith Smith and Morgan Smith providing solid floor games, the Sailors came out on top. In all, the Sailors came up with 20 steals. Eight players  had at least one steal each.

Meredith Smith added 10 points and Morgan Smith had eight. Sarah Jones also chipped in with eight points.

The Sailors led 12-8 after one quarter and 22-11 at the half before WMC made a run, led by Eekhoff in the second half. The senior post player scored nine of the Warriors’ 11 points in the third quarter and nine more in the fourth quarter.

In the second, third and fourth quarters, Eekhoff scored 21 of the Warriors’ 28 points.

Turnovers hurt the Warriors all night long as the pressure defense applied by the Sailors wore down WMC.

“We should have handled the press better than that,” WMC coach Mike Henry said. “We’re working on it, but it didn’t show.

“I told them at halftime, we haven’t made shots,” said Henry, whose team made just 9-of-24 from the free-throw line.

After Eekhoff, no other Warrior player scored more than five points.

Mona Shores 51,Western Michigan Christian 36

WESTERN MICHIGANCHRISTIAN
Alyssa Wright 2 0-2 4, Julie Merz 2 0-2 5, Jessica Knoll 0 0-2 0, Rachel Bruinsma 0 1-4 1, Lindsey Johnson 0 2-2 2, Vanessa Eekhoff 8 6-12 22, Cassidy Kraker 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 9-24 36.

MONA SHORES
Rachel Anderson 1 2-5 4, Amy Gillings 0 0-5 0, Morgan Smith 4 0-0 8, Meredith Smith 5 0-1 10, Corrine DeWitt 0 1-4 1, Jasmyn Walker 7 6-8 20, Sarah Jones 3 1-2 8. Totals 20 10-27 51.

WMC 8 – 3 – 11 – 14 – 36.
MS 12 – 10 – 13 – 16 – 51

3-pointers: Merz, Jones. Fouled out: Bruinsma, Johnson. Total fouls: WMC 20, Mona Shores 21. Technicals: none. JV: Mona Shores.